The picture was taken a few hours after she had given birth. Haakon was inside telling the intired norwegian press about his daughter, and MM and IA left on a stretcher trough the back door,there was however one
tvteam who got some blurry pictures and a couple of photographers who got some pictures of some blond hair.

ReallY?? Wow!! I dindn't know doctors would even think of letting a woman get out of hospital the day she gave birth!!

It's not just any woman. It's the Crown Princess of Norway who has just given birth to the future heir to the Norwegian throne. I'm sure that the hospital was assured that Mette-Marit would receive more than adequate care at home, as would the baby.

Yes, one of Norways most well known and respected gyocologists went with her in the ambulance and stayed with her at Skaugum. There was a lot of writing in the press of how she was a rolemodel for other women by going home early and taking control of her body.

I think a female comedian said it very well; Who would not like to go home early if you could go home to a huge house, together with one of Norways best doctors and has a housekeeper to take care of the house, and a nanny to take care of your other child. That is not a possibility for many people in Norway.

It's not just any woman. It's the Crown Princess of Norway who has just given birth to the future heir to the Norwegian throne. I'm sure that the hospital was assured that Mette-Marit would receive more than adequate care at home, as would the baby.

Maxima also left the hospital within hours of delivering Amalia.

I didn't know Maxima had also left the same day!! But I agree, it's a good singn if they could leave within hours, it means the mother & baby are in good health...

I don't know what hospitals are like in Norway (or in the case of Maxima, in the Netherlands) but maternity wards can be very noisy and distracting, even if you have a private room.

In Canada (or at least Ontario) you stay in the hospital for at least one day if you've had a regular delivery without any complications, and three days if you've had a C-section or complications during your delivery.

Three years ago, when my aunt had her fourth child through a regular, uncomplicated delivery, asked to leave the hospital after 6 hours because she couldn't rest in her private room and the constant noise of other patients, visitors and babies, and nurses and doctors was waking up her baby. My aunt certainly didn't go home with one of the city's top OBGYN's but seeing as it was her fourth baby, they let her leave. She found it more comfortable to rest in her own bed and to have her new baby in his own nursery without any outside noise other than his father and his siblings.

For a myraid of reasons I an understand why Mette-Marit and Maxima would want to rest up with their new babies in the comforts of their own home. Imagine members of the press trying to get into the hospital to get the first pictures of your new born baby who is also the future heir to the throne. It would be an unsettling thought while trying to recuperate from a delivery.

When I was born, in 1983 in a Norwegian hospital, my mother and I went home six days after. I think it was about the same for two of my younger sisters, but the youngest, born in 1992, was there for a shorter period of time. Not as short as a day, but closer to four.

In recent years they've become more accomodating, if everything works fine, then you can go home more quickly.

As far as I have read it is very common in the Netherlands to give birth at home (ca 40%) or to leave hospital the same day. As long as precnancy and birth proceeds without complications it's no problem.
Here in Norway its very unusual to deliver at home, but it get's more common to leave hospital the same day (as I did with my last baby), after a doctor has checked the baby. Aswell you have the possibility that a midwife visits you in the first days after delivery for checking baby and mother.

Yes, one of Norways most well known and respected gyocologists went with her in the ambulance and stayed with her at Skaugum. There was a lot of writing in the press of how she was a rolemodel for other women by going home early and taking control of her body.

I think a female comedian said it very well; Who would not like to go home early if you could go home to a huge house, together with one of Norways best doctors and has a housekeeper to take care of the house, and a nanny to take care of your other child. That is not a possibility for many people in Norway.

I should like to know who made that comment about her being a role model for women because she went home right away & took control of her body. What a stupid thing to say to women!! That is down right dangerous. However for MM it was perfectly safe as she had a doctor AT HOME WITH HER. Most women would not have that unless they are married to one or have one as a close family member.

And BTW I'd like to know what they mean about "took control of her body"? Because the last time I checked the only thing you can do is eat right, take your vitamins & suppliments & get plenty of rest after birth. You can't just say "okay body do as I say now".

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"Many of us experience daily life becoming ever more hectic. This may be a good reason to stop a bit - and think about if what one spends time on is in fact how one really wants to spend it," Crown Prince Haakon of Norway

I dont remeber who said it, but several doctors said that for women that are having their 2. child and had a healthy pregnancy and a safe delivery, its not a problem to go home the same day. They will be visited by a doctor/OBGYN at home.

Some pictures of the first things she did after the wedding alone and with haakon

1 Honeymoon in New York
2 Lightening the X-mas three dec 2001 and giving her very first speech in English
3 Visit to Haugesund to an anti racism project-colourful footbal
4 Giving a speech to mark the year of voulenteer work
5 Visiting the yearly journalist meeting
6 Visiting the Olymics in Salt Lake City
7 Second Solo engagement november 2001, attending a gymnastics jubilee in Oslo (First was the womens Soccer cup-finale)
8 Third Solo engagement waching a fashionshow by designstudents in a church